Operation Christmas Child huge success

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the fantastic response to this year’s appeal for Operation Christmas Child.

We thank the generosity of all the people of South Tyneside, Gateshead and SR6 surrounding areas who have once again come to the aid of the children of Eastern Europe.

The list of people to thank grows even longer (*we have had to edit the list due to limited space - Letters Ed): The Assembly Addressers; the knitters, sewers and crocheters who work tirelessly all year; the box coverers; the box checkers; the drivers/collectors; local milkman Kevin Dent; Hanover Dairies; Reynolds Flooring; Country Baskets Team Valley; South Shields Town Hall; Ringtons Tea; Sainsburys King Edward Road, South Shields; Tony from GHI for providing the copies; Harton Inner Wheel; Axis Team Valley; Smiths Shop Shoe Service; Jarrow Post Office and sorting office, Shields Gazette; Jarrow Viking Centre; St Aloysius Primary Choir and Beacon Band for singing at the Thanksgiving Service; GHI Computers; Safe and Sure; The congregations of all contributing churches; More schools than ever before; ; Last but not least, all the children, students, mams, dads, grans, grandads, aunts, uncles, teachers and tutors who helped us raise a total of 9,254 shoe boxes.

Out boxes went out on Tuesday, December 6. The lorry was travelling to Cluj in Romania with 9,254 shoe boxes, 1,500 miles from Jarrow.

Every box puts a smile in the face of a child. For our 9,254 smiles I thank you from the bottom of my heart! I hope that together we can do the same (or better, we still need more) for next Christmas.